“Life [is] like a box of chocolates…. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
With respect Mr Gump, we must disagree with your momma. See, the thing is, when it comes to chocolate we do know what we’re gonna get – happiness … every time.
But sometimes a bar or a box (even one as luscious as the box in our featured image by janineomg) isn’t a fix. Sometimes, serious cocoa therapy is in order. In just such cases, we find it best to seek out a professional chocolatier. These 3 chocolatey destinations make a good place to start.
See why Belgium is renowned for chocolate making – tour Le Chocolatier Manon’s factory
Le Chocolatier Manon has been decorated as the world’s best chocolate maker five times in the past 30 years. Visitors to the factory in Brussels can watch a one-and-a-half hour demonstration on their handicraft (cost is €12).
Slurp the world’s best hot chocolate – in Turin or Perugia (Italy)
Italy’s famous for serving its hot chocolate nice and thick. You can find it in many a café or geletaria around the country, but for our money it’s always best in Italy’s two major chocolate producing towns – Turin and Perugia. Mind you, the hot chocolate served at Café Angelina in Paris is pretty darn good too.
Stay on a working chocolate plantation – Hotel Chocolat, Saint Lucia
Luxury isn’t the only draw at this retreat. The hotel’s situated in the middle of a cocoa plantation. More than that, chocolate is made on the estate – it’s so good that it sells all around the world. The cocoa connection doesn’t end there – the hotel’s spa has a number of treatments oriented around the cocoa bean’s rejuvenating qualities (antioxidants and minerals).
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
